


Sacred Spaces

by sten06



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Lena is an angel, One Shot, and I have a lot of feelings, volunteering at the hospital
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 13:25:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10922694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sten06/pseuds/sten06
Summary: Kara notices Lena's apartment filling with interesting trinkets. She learns why. I love Lena Luthor.





	Sacred Spaces

The first time she goes to Lena’s apartment, she sees it.

 

It’s subtle, and partially hidden, but it’s there. A small framed photograph sticking out from behind a stack of books. A smiling, slightly younger version of Lena, her wavy black locks free flowing gracefully down, kneeling by the bed of a small boy no older than 5, tubes and monitors surrounding him as he weakly smiles at the camera.

 

Kara’s heart drops, wondering who this boy is, and if he’s still alive. She wonders who he is in relation to Lena. She wonders why Lena’s never mentioned it.

 

The next time she goes to Lena’s apartment, she sees more.

 

There’s a stick figure drawing, two figures together holding hands. The taller one has black wavy hair and a huge smile, and she’s holding the hand of a smaller looking figure with red marker ringlets and an equally big smile. The red haired stick figure has tubes attached to her arms, but the taller stick figure has angel wings. Underneath it says “Lena and Avery”. 

 

Kara’s heart drops again. She wonders who drew this, and where they are now. She looks at Lena, who is obliviously going about her business in the kitchen, uncorking wine and talking about her day, and she stares back at the drawing. 

 

The angel wings seem accurate.

 

Each time she visits Lena’s apartment, Kara becomes aware of each and every new addition to these intimate collections. 

 

They are never loudly on display, but they are kept respectfully in places only Lena would know to find them, like she’s tucked them away in her heart for safe keeping. There are lopsided creations made of popsicle sticks and glue, and more drawings of flowers and smiling faces. There are stickers placed on the inside corner of Lena’s favorite books, and there are cards made out of construction paper with misspellings and a lot of hearts. Each treasure is kept in the same condition, never wrinkled or crumpled or discarded. 

 

On Valentine’s Day, she shows up to surprise Lena, only to find the apartment overflowing with flowers, but not the kind Lena would normally buy. There are red roses, of course, but there are also wild flowers, and dandelions, and flowers that have been put together with bows and strings. There are cards everywhere, stacked neatly, with paper mache hearts and cut outs of doilies covered in glitter. Oh the glitter. Kara is certain the apartment will never look the same after this.

 

“Wow, looks like I’m not your only admirer.” Kara jokes, and she feels the warmth surround her. She loves the way the apartment looks, the flashes of color and light the perfect addition to Lena’s life. 

 

She wishes she knew the half of it.

 

“I just have a lot of wonderful clients.” Lena says, her voice far off and distant, as she grazes over the pedals of the flowers with her fingertips. 

 

She’s so gentle, and Kara wonders how anyone could be so  _ good _ . 

 

Weeks later, she arrives, and there’s another photograph, this time it’s Lena surrounded by smiling children, most of them staring at her as she reads them a story. Her smile is bright, and it’s the genuine smile she gets when she’s really, truly happy. The kids stare at her in wonder, like she’s capable of moving mountains.

 

Kara thinks she’s not the only super hero in this relationship.

 

She’s starting to put it together, now, and her heart can’t contain the feelings it brings. Lena dedicates her time to these children, and donates her love as well as her money. 

 

“Can I go with you sometime?” Kara asks one night, curled up into Lena’s side, listening to the soothing sound of her heart.

 

“Go with me where, darling?” Lena asks, her fingers idly roaming through Kara’s golden locks as she thumbs through her novel absent-mindedly.

 

“To the hospital,” Kara whispers softly, “To visit the kids, with you.”

 

Lena stiffens slightly, her fingers pausing on Kara’s head.

 

“How did you--?” she asks, and she glances down at Kara, who is smiling gently back at her. Lena pauses, and returns her smile. “Yes, of course you can. I’d love that.”

 

They visit the Luthor Family Children’s Hospital, and they are immediately recognized. Not Kara, though. She doesn’t dress as Supergirl, she goes as herself, and no one pays her any mind. But Lena walks in, and everyone smiles. Nurses know her by her first name, and parents of children come out to embrace her. Lena takes her time and talks to everyone individually, remembering details of their lives and offering words of meaningful encouragement. She walks down the hall and there are excited shrieks when she enters the room, surprising patients with gifts and books, stuffed animals and laughter. 

 

They arrive outside a particular room and Lena takes a deep breath. She turns to Kara.

 

“This little girl is very special. I don’t know how much longer she has, but I’m excited for you to meet her,” Lena says, and her voice quivers slightly as she does. “I always need a minute before going in, I don’t ever want to scare her with my own emotions. It’s just hard, sometimes, seeing them so defenseless, so small, and fighting so hard, you know?”

 

Kara nods. She knows. 

 

They enter, and Lena pastes on her best happy face, as she enthusiastically greets one of her favorite patients. Lucy, Kara learns. She’s pale, and her breath is shallow, but she’s able to smile when Lena enters the room.

 

“Lucy, I brought someone very special to meet you.” Lena says softly, her hand gently wrapping around Lucy’s, their fingers interlocking. 

 

“Is this  _ her _ ?” Lucy asks, her voice raspy. She struggles to speak, but her eyes have a twinkle of excitement as she glances at Kara with immediate recognition. 

 

Lena has told Lucy all about Kara. Her Kara. Her love.

 

“This is her.” Lena says, and Kara looks at them both, wide-eyed.

 

Lucy beckons Kara to come closer, and she carefully whispers in her ear. It’s enough to make Kara’s heart take off into the sky faster than she could as Supergirl.

 

_ “Lena loves you so much. Take care of her.” _

 

One day, months later, Kara goes over to the apartment, and everything is gone.

 

The flowers are gone, the drawings are gone, the pictures and cards and gifts are gone. Everything is gone and everything is cold. Lena has been agitated for a few days, and nothing feels right. 

 

“Lena?” Kara asks, her fingers lacing over the spines of the books on the shelf, the space dark and cold without the bright drawings and haphazardly placed stickers. Even the photographs are missing.

 

“Sometimes when I lose one of them, it hurts so much, I can’t stand it,” Lena says quietly. She’s staring out the french doors overlooking the balcony, and she looks small and tired. “I know it’s part of it, but it never gets easier.”

 

Kara strokes her back gently, and nods. She knows. She knows it too well. She can’t save everyone, but it still hurts.

 

They sit on the couch, and Lena tells her about all of them. She tells her stories of all her favorites, and she tells her the ones that didn’t make it. She talks of hope, and she talks of agony. She says it’s the most fulfilling thing she does.

 

Without her speaking, Kara knows. She always knew. 

 

“When it gets overwhelming, I pack it away before I start again,” Lena says softly, shaking her head, her sad smile tracing the corner of her lips. “I’ll start again, in a little while.”

 

Kara kisses her cheek and wraps her in a strong embrace. 

 

“I know you will.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just me again, sobbing over Lena. Catch me on tumblr @stennnn06


End file.
